Monday, September 30, 2019

The purpose of doing this is to analyze the disease history

Like all little children whenever I saw my weak mother suffering from ill health I had dreams of being a doctor. But adulthood brought some self realization and I knew that this was not the chosen profession for me. I was scared of blood and the sight of it brought nausea and giddiness in me. Dreams of taking a knife or an injection died a natural death.As I had an aptitude for numbers and was confident of my logical thinking, I opted for Mathematics and statistics as my undergraduate major and computer science as minor. For the past five years I have been studying mathematics and statistics in University I have been involved in some projects related to the medical field.In these projects, I used SPSS, MiniTab, SAS to generate meaningful statistical information including the comparison of means and proportions and investigation of relationships between variables using regression. Currently I am involved in a project focusing on historical census records. The purpose of doing this is to analyze the disease history of the family that would enable doctors to adopt preventive measures for future generations.The summer of 2007, when I met a girl from the CH&E department in the course of my work in a Diabetes program reinforced the idea that I should pursue this MSc CH&E program and base my future career on this. That was the first reason for my choice of this program and Dalhousie University.The MSc Program in Community Health and Epidemiology would enhance my knowledge, analytical skills and formal evaluative methods with application to disease prevention, health promotion and assessment of community health service and system needs. After successful completion of this program I would have honed my skills in a broad range of community health and epidemiology research studies, intervention programs and policy development efforts.Faculty members in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology in Dalhousie have backgrounds in a number of disciplines and have con tributed tremendously to Health Research and Health Promotion.The associate professors who are the fulltime faculty here have a reputation that has added to my reasons for the choice of this school. One of my desires is to be under the expert guidance of Associate Professor Judith Guernsey. Her Ph.D. Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, her research interests and activities where there is a heavy focus on the health of rural communities have particularly appealed to me because I feel that this is an indication of true social awareness.My interests are in the areas of addiction and health of women and when I read thatThe research interests of Associate professor Susan Kirkland include Women's Health, Aging, Health Services and Osteoporosis I consider this as a great opportunity to interact with her, and I have heard a lot about her lectures. I look forward to gaining admission in this school and be benefited by her lectures on Advanced Epidemiology. I have also read about th e research activities of George Kephart and I would be fortunate to be exposed to professional caliber of such superior kind.I also look forward to taking the course on Biostatistics which would be handled by Associate Professor Gordon Flowerdew. I would like to further enhance my training in Mathematics and statistics because I have been doing well in these subjects and am confident of rising up to the standards of all these seasoned expertsModern population-based health management is complex, requiring a multiple set of medical, political, technological, mathematical skills of which epidemiological practice and analysis is a core component that is unified with management science to provide efficient and effective health care and health guidance to a population.This task requires the forward looking ability of modern risk management approaches that transform health risk factors, incidence, prevalence and mortality statistics (derived from epidemiological analysis) into management m etrics that not only guide how a health system responds to current population health issues, but also how a health system can be managed to better respond to future potential population health issues.My diligent work in this educational program where I intend to make full use of the opportunity given by the course curriculum would enable me to pursue a longstanding career in the field of community health.The field of epidemiology would allow me to contribute to the medical profession, in a way that would suit my temperament too, because this is in the medical field, but without going through the tough first hands on experience of a doctor or a nurse.My interest and grounding in statistics would come in handy because the program enables the student to critically appraise, evaluate and design community health and epidemiological research studies and programs through the use of appropriate research methodologies and sources of information.After successful completion of this program I w ould be competent enough to effectively communicate my knowledge to the public and other health professionals and this would help my career objectiveMy short term is to get into CH&E program, then get the master’s degree; long term plan is to work as a researcher and analyst in the medical field area. I would also try to become a health protection practitioner, working in different settings and combating outbreaks of disease.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Fiscal Administration

Local fiscal administration refers to systems, structures, processes, resources, and the policy environment government the inter-governmental and inter-local fiscal relations, affecting, among others the following: o the giving of allotments and grants by the national government (NG) to local government units (LGUs); o sharing of taxing powers between the NG and the LGUs, and among LGUs units; o policy on tax rates and structure; o revenue and expenditure planning; revenue and expenditure planning; o revenue utilization and expenditure allocation; o monitoring and approval of budgets, tax ordinances and other fiscal measures; o policy on borrowing and borrowing instruments; and o appointment and supervision of local fiscal officers. The trends in local fiscal administration are inadequacy of own-source revenue to finance basic and devolved functions and thus render LGUs dependent on transfers from the NG.Reliance on few local taxes, particularly the real property tax and business tax ; and uneven level of expenditures hence, unequal access to local public services. With regards to the inadequacy of lgus, the national government must assist lgus in making development strategies to maximize the resources available. In that way, lgus can somehow sustain themselves and become less dependent to national government.It must also help in attracting investors regardless if the leaders are opposition or administration. Lgus must not sole rely on few local taxes. It must encourage business to pay honestly the taxes and give credit to those who pay on time. Those who evade must be persecuted regardless if they are powerful individuals and has connecrtion to top officials. The national government must help in regulating taxes and help in catching the big fishes.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Explaining my motivation to get into the MBA program, my professional Personal Statement

Explaining my motivation to get into the MBA program, my professional and goals - Personal Statement Example ergraduate degree, I worked full time as a unit secretary in the NICU, a local hospital so I consider myself as better acquainted with the practical operations of business. I believe my masters will not only equip me with more theoretical knowledge on business leadership, but earn me adequate salary to improve my life with my new husband. In addition, my success in the MBA studies and subsequent placement in a good job would prove to myself and my family that I can succeed in this new journey. As Bujor (2013) noted, as an MBA graduate, I will have the prerequisite qualification and higher opportunity to land and hold a top-level management position. My confidence in better prospects is boosted by the fact that more than two-thirds of the MBA graduates around the world are top managers or members of company boards. Such positions are usually well-paying but challenging in the sense that they require of the managers the ability to work extra time and make major decisions that can change the business for better or for worse. I will be especially happy in such positions because I like challenging and rewarding jobs. In addition, the MBA program will deliver a better, more integrated business network that I will rely on in future management position to source for clients, suppliers and employees. As an MBA trainee I will enjoy massive networking opportunities that will be of great importance in practical business life. The program will improve my practical knowledge of the business through interactions with colleagues who are likely to turn into high level executives in future. In addition, I will also look forward to the professors and other teaching staffs to impart tremendous knowledge on-field operations. Owing to the fact that I work for a big company, I believe that completing the program will help me move up the corporate ladder and become a great corporate leader. My current placement has given me a head-start in the sense that I do not need to rely wholly on

Friday, September 27, 2019

Renaissance Humanism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Renaissance Humanism - Essay Example Bernini captures the essence of the story of Apollo and Daphne because of the actions and reactions of the characters in the sculpture and because of the items in it that altogether provide the emotions and meanings of the original story. Apollo lovingly grabs Daphne. He is running after her, so he is in the movement of a running man. It shows his desperation because of his passionate love for her. Daphne, however, hates Apollo and calls help from his father. Her face is a frantic plea for her father to save her from Apollo. She reaches up to prevent Apollo from touching her and she becomes a tree during this process. Her hands are already turning to branches and leaves. Somehow, her face also shows freedom. She seems to be in a transition from anxiety to calmness as she becomes a tree and remains free from Apollo’s advances. This transition from human to tree is part of the Greek myth. Bernini’s sculpture captures the story of St. Teresa of Avilas encounter with an angel because he includes the main characters of the story and the emotions that came with the story. His sculpture has an angel with the arrow that is positioned toward Teresa’s heart. He is smiling in his act of thrusting the arrow to her. Rays of light are coming down on Teresa. Teresa is already experiencing ecstasy with her closed eyes and parted lips. The deep folds of her clothes suggest movement of her pleasures for the arrow. The way that Teresa also lies down with her left hand clutching the clouds and left foot in display reinforce her feelings of deep oneness with God. She receives God inside her and feels the full force of her spiritual marriage with God as if it is both physical and spiritual. This is Bernini’s sculpture, The Rape of Proserpina. Pluto or Hades kidnaps and rapes Proserpina in the Underworld. The two-headed dog Cerberus is included to signify that it is Hades who kidnaps her. It can be seen how he grabs Proserpina by her waist and thighs that

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Roman Empire collapse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Roman Empire collapse - Essay Example This made it default for the Roman economy to function. Secondly, during this period, the military was in total disarray. The generals had become indiscipline and disloyal. Most of the generals were pursuing personal ambitions either to be named emperor or become ‘Master of Soldiers.’ This brought disunity in the army, and this greatly weakened the empire which drew much of its strength from the army. For example, Constantine II and Constans are two emperors who openly fought each other (Fergusson, 4). Roman soldiers were giving their allegiance to those commanders they supported and not to Rome. The government was forced to hire foreign soldiers who had no sense of loyalty. In addition, the general public became less patriotic, and no one was willing to defend the empire. Finally, the heavy taxes imposed on the poor citizens created class divisions, and the people’s loyalty to the government faded (Fergusson, 5). Many felt that the government was oppressing them, and this further increased the tension in the empire. The anger of the population was demonstrated through revolts, and this forced the government to use its military resources to quell the revolts. The internal conflicts made it difficult for the government to survive amid reduced

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Law of Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law of Contract - Essay Example In all this, the intention of enforcing agreements through contracts is to boost commercial relations, since commerce generally involves individuals or personal interaction; and the obligation imposed by a contract is, in general, created by the parties themselves. This makes one accountable for his/her promises, and ensures that they deliver such promise within the ambit of law (Richards, 2007). As it stands, Pete on putting on his website that it is â€Å"The shop that never sleeps† is intended to create the picture of an operating system whereby all customers’ needs are acted on promptly with zeal. In the face of law, this will not be taken to be a twenty four hour business, but within the working hours, it operates with an efficiency that will guarantee customers satisfaction. Any service below this mark can prompt the customer to seek legal action (Stone, 2009). On the same note, Pete put on his website that he has four tickets for Dob Bylan concert at a total pric e of â‚ ¬100 for each ticket. He goes further to say that the tickets will be sold to the first person placing an order with him. This amounts to an offer, to anyone who has â‚ ¬100 per ticket to buy. It puts Mr. ... The person making the offer in this case is known as the offeror whereas the one who has been addressed to is called offeree. Mr. Pete has made an express offer since he has specifically made his intentions known to the offeree(s) through writing (MacLntyre, 2010). An offer is very different from an invitation to treat. An invitation to treat can be termed as a mere invitation to make an offer and no contract can result from it alone. A good example is afforded by the display of goods in a shop or supermarket. From all the decided case so far, the display of goods only amounts to invitation treat, not an offer. The offer is made at the point whereby the prospective buyer approaches the shop attendant or cashier, by picking up the goods and expressing the desire to buy those (Stone, 2009). Here, is a case to explain this: Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain V. Boots (1953). The defendant has self service store in which certain listed drugs were displayed on shelves. It was illegal to sell such drugs unless the sale was under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. A customer selected some of those drugs from the shelves. The defendants had placed a registered pharmacist on duty at the cash desk near the exit, not at the shelves. The defendants were charged with the offence of listing drugs without supervision of a registered pharmacist. It was held that if the sale took place where the customer picked up the drugs, from the shelves, the defendants would be liable, but if the sale took place at the cash desk where the pharmacist was located, then the pharmacist would be liable (Richards, 2007). To Pete’s side the contract is executed on his part, since he has brought forward

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Understanding Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Understanding Management - Essay Example A close analysis of the design, fabrication, and assembly departments reveals that the workers have exhibited mixed reactions towards the new system adopted. This paper will critically analyse the management theories applied in each department. Workers in the design department have made it clear that their job description involves a high level of creativity and complexity. Therefore, the employees feel that the performance related pay system does not compensate them appropriately. Since they apply their creativity in their daily activities, they have the conviction that such talent deserves proper recognition and rewards. In addition, the employees have highlighted that the products of their creativity should be considered as their intellectual capital (Markert 2008, p. 41). Unfortunately, the company has been against this idea. In the view of the management team, all the creations of the design produced by the department staff members remain to be the property of the company as long as such individuals are staff employees to the company. Although the company management is unwilling to consider the issues raised by the employees in this department, they do not consider replacing the staff members. The management team is we ll aware that employees with the level of talent required are rare. The board members have tried negotiation with the professional staff members without any success (Zgarrick 2012, p. 67). The professional work-based assessors have made it clear that the payment and reward system adopted by the company has negative effects on the quality of the designs. The assessors suggest that the company should hire the staff members as consultants and not full-time staff members. The management approaches used by LIPC Company reveals that the classical management theory is in place. The classical management theory focuses on proper organization in an effort to register increased productivity. Usually, the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Tuberculosis in the Borough of Newham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tuberculosis in the Borough of Newham - Essay Example This research paper â€Å"Tuberculosis in the Borough of Newham† investigates a disease, infectious in nature, that has affected almost one third of the world population and spread of this killer disease is growing steadily at a pace of 1% of the total population each year. It was widely believed that Tuberculosis has affected the developing countries only because of the poor immune system, they have undergone, but that turned out to be false. Tuberculosis has become a major threat in the United Kingdom over the past decade, and, although most developed countries have achieved substantial methods to reduce the spread of this disease, rates in the UK continue to rise. It is mainly is concentrated in the eastern region of London, in the east and northern parts of Newham - London. This study is intended to discover the reason for which Tuberculosis in UK is a primary issue and the impacts and remedies of this disease. Over the past 20 years, the incidence rate of tuberculosis has doubled in London, though it has remained fairly constant elsewhere in England and Wales. In 2007, 39% of patients with tuberculosis in England and Wales lived in London. The number of TB cases increased severely after 2005, and then it became stable and again continued to rise. It is also seen that the highest number of affected were from the east and North West London, primarily the Newham and Brent location. Newham has always been the places with the most diverse ethnic minority population in the whole UK.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The immune response Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The immune response - Coursework Example The macrophages engulf the pathogen entering the body and with the help of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) combine with the receptors on the T Cells. The type of pathogen entering the body depends as to where it would be taken by the antigen presenting cells. If it belongs to the group of viruses it would be presented to the CD-8 positive cytotoxic cell whereas if it is a microbe it would be presented to the CD-4 positive helper cells. The T Cells also have to be activated with the help of the lymphokines which are released by both the macrophages and t helper cells. The helper T cells produce lymphokines which further activate the inactive t helper cells and convert them to memory t cells which would be helpful in interacting with the pathogen on the second response. These lymphokines also help to enhance the MHC proteins on the antigen presenting cells and convert the immunological response into a broad spectrum of events. It is then that the T cells function by either d elaying the reactions of hypersensitivity or by killing the infected cells of the body (Hall & Guyton 2011; Levinson 2008). B Cell Response B cells constitute an important part of the humoral immunity by secreting antibodies against the antigens. The response of B cells to antigen is kind of different as the b cells themselves do not act upon the antigens. The B cells react by forming a complex with the antigens. They form similar B cells which are then converted into plasma cells. These plasma cells produce antibodies which can then act upon the antigens. These B cells also produce memory cells like the T cells which can act like quickly upon second exposure to the antigen. These antibodies can then perform different functions and deactivate the pathogens. Agglutination is one function of the antibodies through which they can destroy the pathogen (Ganong 2005; Levinson 2008). Passive Immunity Passive immunity is the type of resistance which one forms through antibodies which are pr eformed in another host. These antibodies are administered for certain types of bacteria and viruses. In some cases it is seen that passive immunity is also transferred naturally through fetus to the child and through breast feeding to the child. The advantage of passive immunity is that it helps to administer antibodies promptly whenever required, however the effects of antibodies are only limited and may last for a certain time (Levinson 2008; Kumar et al 2005). Active Immunity Active immunity is the type of resistance produced after contact with foreign antigens. This involves the usage of vaccines in the human body which allows exposure to a dead organism. This dead organism then helps to produce antibodies against the organism. In this case the immune system responds with a wide production of white blood cells and thus it is more helpful in preventing diseases. As the memory cells are formed in this type of immunity it is helpful in long term to prevent diseases. One disadvanta ge of active immunity is that the onset of the immunity is slow as compared to the passive immunity. It is because of this reason that in certain cases Passive-active immunity is preferred in which both the antibodies and vaccines are injected (Guyton & Hall 2011; Levinson 2008). Primary and Secondary Response Human body encounters the foreign antigens through different mechanisms. When a foreign antigen first enters the body the immune response is quite slow. The

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Reflections on the Black Race Essay Example for Free

Reflections on the Black Race Essay That the issue of Obama’s racial background is much talked about in terms of his fitness for the US presidency only proves this: that we Americans have a long way to go in our pursuit of adherence to the ideals of our declaration of independence. After all the document held the fundamental equality of people, and everyman’s inalienable rights, to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The declaration did not favor any race in the universality of its coverage. So how come some people have raised the specter of doom for America once the black mestizo Obama wins the US presidency? How come a Democrat lawyer is doggedly pursuing, ostensibly as a matter of principle—that Barack Obma is not a â€Å"natural born American† and is therefore unqualified to run for the presidency of the United States. The Democrat lawyer claimed his motivation was his loyalty to the US constitution. (Refer to the You Tube citation in the reference below for this item). But Surname 2 one can sense a certain ferocity in his campaign that didn’t seem to jibe with his claimed adherence. The dramatic performance of this Democrat lawyer complete with reciting his monologue with the Philadelphia edifice in his background is obviously a public relations stunt of a deeply rooted racist. This theatrics however considerably lost its mantle after a considered US statesman and former Secretary of State—the full-blooded Republican Mr. Powell— endorsed Mr. Obama, making sure he stood for principle in supporting Mr. Obama. Mr. Powell was also bothered by the way his own Republican camp was hitting the dirt in their campaign of hatred against the black American Democratic candidate. (Refer again to the You Tube citation in the reference. ) Mr. Powell finally called for â€Å"a generational change†, and coming as it did from a senior Republican – for a long time, an unprecedented bipartisanship Mr Powell raised a very important gesture of statesmanship and concern for American welfare. (You Tube). . In his book Dreams from my Father, Obama in the first 20 pages described a life that started as a young mind, clueless on the lifetime struggle that was to be on his shoulders as a black mestizo. He described Kansas, as the dab-smack, landlocked center of the country, a place where decency and endurance and the pioneer spirit were joined at the hip with conformity and suspicion and the potential for unblinking cruelty. (p. 13). Take note of his analogy of the metaphorical duality of his environment when he described Kansas as a place of decency, endurance, and (pioneering) spirit on the upper side, joined in the hip with such negative traits as conformity, suspicion, and the potential for Surname 3 unblinking cruelty†¦ This fairly balanced assessment of his origins recognized the fundamental decency of the American people , but also noted the attitudinal duality to racial origins in his country of birth. In this book Obama explored the pervasive racial issues that he encountered in life, from childhood, to college, and by now he must have realized—to the present, when as the Democrat candidates, he stood on the threshold of American presidency. Despite this stature, he was still grappling with the race issue. As a young man, Obama was unmindful of the thought â€Å"(that )my father looked nothing like the people around me — that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk. † (p. 16) It was an infinitely harder life for the common blacks. In Obama’s case he only started to become aware of the weight of his racial identity as he grew up. Obama as a black did not come from the underprivileged, but from a relatively middle class environment. Compared to what Obama went through, Brent Staples now tells us that ordinary blacks suffered even harsher environments. Consoling blacks, he reminded them of the historical movement toward their freedom. They came from a country that barely a few decades ago was absolutely racist, a virtual apartheid which situation started to collapse only after World War II. Staples said that only after the collapse did blacks start to move out of their sequestered world and into colleges, jobs, and walks of life that had been closed to them until then. Surname 4 Still, black Americans who came from successful, suburban and upwardly mobile families were regularly dismissed as white or inauthentic . In other words, Brent Staples also blamed blacks for wanting to further marginalize themselves and to inflict on themselves a marginalized status. â€Å"The authentic black experience, it was said at the time, was limited to the hard-core, impoverished upbringing that black people often chose to brag about, even when they had actually grown up with private prep schools in the lap of luxury,† was Brent’s assessment of the black mentality of the 60s. In other words, even Obama was unacceptable to these blacks because he was not authentically â€Å"black† in the poverty side of the issue. But another Republican Alan Keyes dished out another execrable crap when he opposed Mr. Obama in the Illinois Senate race back in 2004 saying Mr. Obama was not black because â€Å"he was not descended from slaves. † Clearly both black and whites think of blacks as having to be miserable in order to qualify for this racial group. The self-image of this group seems to be one that perpetually deprecates itself as always coming from the bottom. Mr. Obama himself, a would-be president of the United States has experienced the existential problem of how it is to be black in the world’s most prosperous country. In his book Obama disclosed how he coped with life as a black in a society dominated by whites. As Staples explains it: â€Å"He stumbled onto the mysteries of race in his own good time and pursued them in his own way. His quest took him to an impoverished community on the South Surname 5 Side of Chicago, where he worked as an organizer in an infamous public housing project before discovering his vocation as a politician. † And Staples sees hope that this division would soon be resolved with a greater understanding of the multiplicity of experiences among marginalized peoples in any society. Said he: â€Å"†¦ The hue and cry over Barack Obama’s identity stems from a failure by black traditionalists to recognize multiracial versions of themselves. Soon enough, perhaps by year’s end, however, the Obama story, which seems so exotic to so many people now, will have found its place among all the other stories of the sprawling black diaspora. † Surname 6 Works Cited Obama, Barack. Dreams of My Father. US: Three River Press, 1995,pp. 1-20. Staples, Brent. Decoding the Debate Over the Blackness of Barack Obama. (2007) The Editorial Observer. Retrieved October 19. 2008 from: http://files. meetup. com/427541/Blackness%20of%20Barack%20Obama%20. doc You Tube campaign against Obama . Retrieved Oct. 21, 2008. http://sayanythingblog. com/entry/a_video_that_could_change_the_election/

Friday, September 20, 2019

T Cell Receptor and the B Cell Receptor: Comparison

T Cell Receptor and the B Cell Receptor: Comparison The entire world is full of pathogens which we need to fight off to leave a normal life. Due to this, we have an immune system that helps us fight off and prevent/manage subsequent infections. Our immune system can be classified into two, the innate and acquired immune responses. The innate immune response is broadly specific and provides the first defensive action against any infection. Their response to any subsequent infection stays the same as the initial infection. In contrast, the acquired immune response is highly specific such that it provides defence by generating antibodies specific to an antigen. They also have the capacity of keeping infection memory such that there will be a more powerful response to future infections. Innate immune response is mostly provided by macrophages, dendritic cells, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, mast cells, natural killer cells, erythrocytes and platelets. The acquired immune response is provided by lymphocytes, the T (T cells) and B lymphocyte s (B cells). The lymphocytes are derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the bone marrow. That form MLPs (myeloid-lymphoid progenitors). If the HSC and MLP stay in the bone marrow they form B cells and if they migrate (via blood) to the thymus they form T cells (see figure below). Initiation of immune response by the lymphocytes first requires recognition of the antigens and this is achieved by cell surface receptors called BCRs (B cell receptor) and TCRs (T cell receptor). These two receptors have great similarities and differences in their structure complexes, antigen recognition, cell activation and genetic recombination. A) STRUCTURE OF BCRs AND TCRs Both the BCR and TCR have great similarities and differences in the structure. They both exist as multi-chain complexes as seen in the diagrams below: i) Antigen recognition components In the figure above, section A shows the structure of a BCR. The BCR antigen recognition medium is an immunoglobulin (Ig) molecule (a transmembrane antibody). The antibody is modified via alternative splicing that adds a hydrophobic transmembrane domain and a short cytoplasmic domain (~3 aminoacids) at the C terminus of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (Wall Kuehl 1983). All naà ¯ve B cells only express both IgM and IgD classes of immunoglobulin but do switch to other classes upon activation by antigens (Goding, 1978). The antibody (figure 2C) is a highly specific Ig that can adopt any one of the 5 immunoglobulin isotopes, IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and IgE. The antibody has 3 regions of which 2 regions (FAB) vary from antibody to antibody and bind to antigens and 1 region (FC) that binds to effector molecules. The antibody is composed of 2 light and 2 heavy chains held together by inter and intra disulphide bonds. The heavy chains depending on the Ig isotypes can be any one of ÃŽÂ ³, Ã⠀šÃ‚ µ, ÃŽÂ ±, ÃŽÂ ´ or Ɇº chains. The variable domains (VH and VL) bind to antigen and also bring about variability and antigen recognition specificity. This specificity is mainly due to the presence of 3 hypervariable regions (Complementary Determining Regions), namely CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 in the variable regions. Similar to BCR, the antigen recognition medium in TCR is an immunoglobulin heterodimer made from ÃŽÂ ± and ÃŽÂ ² Ig chains (in most T cells) or ÃŽÂ ³ and ÃŽÂ ´ Ig chains. Unlike in BCRs where the IG can be of 5 types, in TCRs the Ig heterodimers are only of 2 types. The two Ig chains in TCRs are (also like BCRs) held together by intra and inter disulphide bonds. As seen in section C, each Ig chain folds into 2 domains, the variable and the constant domain. This folding greatly resembles the FAB region of the antibody in BCRs. Likewise antibodies, the ÃŽÂ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ² and ÃŽÂ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ´ heterodimers also have hypervariable regions (CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3) in variable domains. The variable regions in both BCRs and TCRs bring about specificity and diversity The BCR antibodies have a hinge joint (connecting FAB and FC) that makes the Ig molecule very flexible. Unlike antibodies, the flexibility of the TCR Ig molecule is very limited at the elbow region (junction of constant and variable region) (Degano et al, 1996). ii) ACCESSORY PROTEINS Both the BCR and TCR have very short cytoplasmic domains that restrict the binding of any signal transduction factors to the receptors. Due to this the receptors are unable to transducer signals into cells upon antigen recognition. Signal transduction is achieved via the accessory proteins. BCRs (figure 2 section A) accessory proteins consists of one or more dimmers of one each of Ig-ÃŽÂ ± and Ig-ÃŽÂ ² chains held together in the cell membrane by a pair of disulphide bonds. The cytoplasmic domains of these chains have phosphorylation sites called ITAMS. Unlike BCR accessory protein, the TCR accessory proteins (figure 2, section C) is composed of a complex know as CD3. It consists of 3 types of invariant chains, namely ÃŽÂ ³, ÃŽÂ ´ and Ɇº. A ÃŽÂ ³ or ÃŽÂ ´ chain couples up with one Ɇº chain (by formation of disulphide bonds) each to form two dimmers (ÃŽÂ ³Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â‚¬ º and ÃŽÂ ´Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â‚¬ º). In addition to this, a dimmer of 2 zeta (ÃŽÂ ¶) chains is also present. Together, these 3 dimers make up the CD3 complex. The ÃŽÂ ¶ chains have a much longer cytoplasmic tail than the ÃŽÂ ³, ÃŽÂ ´ and Ɇº chains and have 3 ITAMs as compared to one in the ÃŽÂ ³, ÃŽÂ ´ and Ɇº chains. Therefore for both BCR and TCR accessory proteins are dimmers that all contain ITAMs. B) GENERATION OF RECEPTOR DIVERSITY There are millions antigens and we need to produce millions of antibodies against them. However, we do not have millions of Ig genes so how are we able to produce all these different antibodies? The answer is antibodies are produced in developing B cells via genetic recombination of genes encoding the immunoglobulins (Hozumi and Tonegawa, 1976). The figure below shows the gene segments coding immunoglobulins. Figure legend: The human heavy chain locus as shown in the last row, consists of about 38-46 functional VH genes, 27 DH and 6 JH genes. The light chain can be either made of ÃŽÂ » or ÃŽÂ º chains. The ÃŽÂ » locus consists of about 30 functional V ÃŽÂ » genes and 5 J ÃŽÂ » genes each separated by a J segments. The Kappa locus has about 34-40 functional VÃŽÂ º genes and 5 JÃŽÂ º genes. The variable heavy chain region of the antibody is made from the joining of the V (variable), D (diversity) and J (joint) gene segments and the variable light chain (which can be either ÃŽÂ º or ÃŽÂ ») is formed from the joining of V and J segments only. A process called V(D)J recombination involves joining different gene segments and as a result bringing about antibody diversity. At the heavy chain locus, any one of the 27 D and 6 J gene segments are first joined together and then any one of 46 V gene segment is joined to this DJ segment. This rearranged DNA is then transcribed to form a primary mRNA. This mRNA then undergoes splicing to bring the VDJ segment close to the constant gene segment. Additional diversity is achieved as any 1 of the two types of light chains can be formed. Random insertion of nucleotides either side of D segments also creates N-nucleotide diversity. In total about 106 possible immunoglobulin gene combinations can be formed. This recombination process is driven by recombination signal sequences that flank the coding gene segments. Certain enzymes (RAG-1 and RAG-2) help mediate this somatic recombination process. The antibodies produce undergo a processs of clonal selectin where only the antibody specific to the antigen preferentially proliferates to make many antibodies. Binding affinity of BCR is greatly increased after antigen recognition where the variable regions of both heavy and light chain undergo somatic hypermutations. This is where point mutations are put in the variable regions of rapidly proliferating B cells. These mutations produce antibodies that may have good, moderate or good affinity for the antigens. The antibody with good affinity will have a selective advantage during clonal selection. The gene segements encoding TCR ÃŽÂ ² chain follow the similar V,D,J and C arrangement of BCRs. The recombination process involves of of the two DÃŽÂ ² genes rearranges next to one of JÃŽÂ ² genes. Then one of the ~50 V genes arranges next to the preformed DÃŽÂ ²JÃŽÂ ² genes. As seen , this is also similar to the B cells where a DJ segement forms first and then joins up with a V segment. There is also random insertion, just like in B cells, of nucleotides either side of D segments to create N-nucleotide diversity. Unlike in B cells, there is no somatic hypermutation in T cells after antigen recognition. If this occurs, the TCR will loose its ability to recognise MHC and the peptide it presents. C) ANTIGEN BINDING/RECOGNITION BCR and TCR have similar immunoglobulin antigen recognition receptors but the types of antigens they recognise are very different. BCR can recognise naÃÆ' ¯ve (as a whole) antigens and TCR can only recognise a single antigen peptide sequence presented onto cell surfaces by MHC (Major histocompatibility complex) molecules. The antigens recognised by B cells are naÃÆ' ¯ve and therefore the antibody in BCR mostly recognise discontinuous epitopes on the antigen and antigens recognised by the TCR is in form of linear peptide sequences and therefore they mostly recognise continuous or linear epitopes. Antigen recognition by BCR is very simple where the antibody variable region simply recognises specific epitopes on antigen and bind to it. The BCR can recognise 3 types of antigens, Type 1 thymus independent antigens (where bacterial lipoproteins can bind to mitogenic bypass molecules on B cells surface and this allows non-specific antigen B cell activation), Type 2 thymus independent antigens (appiles to antigens that have well spaced and repetitive polysaccharides that bind to multiple antibodies in BCR and activate the B cell) and Thymus dependent antigens (require helper T cells). Thymus dependent antigens when bind to TCR, instead of causing activation normally cause anergy. Due to this, once the binding has occurred, the whole antigen+TCR comples is endocytosed, the antigen is hydrolysed by enzymes and processed to small linear peptides and then presented onto the B cell surface via MHC2 molecules. Helper T cells then recognise this peptide-MHC complex. B cells have loads of C D40 on their surface that binds to CD40L present on Th helper cells. In response to this Th cells secrete IL-4, 5, 6 that also help activate other costimulatory molecules in the BCR coreceptor complex. All these events provide costimulation of the B cells and it is activated. ÃŽÂ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ² heterodimer TCRs in comparison can recognise any type of antigen that is processed and presented as a single peptide on MHC1 on target cells and MHC2 on B cells, macrophages and dendritic cells (all professional antigen presenting cells). The non-covalent forces that help TCR bind to the peptide-MHC complex are similar to the forces that enable the antibody bond to the antigen i.e. noncovalent. Unlike BCR that only have to recognise epitopes on antigens, the TCR has to both recognise the presence of both MHC molecule and antigen peptide. The TCR VÃŽÂ ± (variable alpha region) overlays ÃŽÂ ±2 helix of MHC1 or ÃŽÂ ²1 helix of MHC2 and the VÃŽÂ ² domain overlays ÃŽÂ ±1 helix in both MHC1/2. The CDR1 and CDR2 bind to ÃŽÂ ± helices of MHC and the CDR3 (which is more variable), binds to the antigen peptide on MHC. This concept is summarised in the picture below: Figure legend: The picture shows how the TCR variable complementarity determining regions (CDR) which are the binding sites interact with peptide-MHC complex. The CDR1 and CDR2 bind to the MHC alpha helices and CFR3 binds to the peptide. The ÃŽÂ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ´ TCRs are more similar to BCR antibody as they can recognise naÃÆ' ¯ve antigens without the requirement of processed antigen presentation. Another similarity of BCR and ÃŽÂ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ´ TCRs is that in the antibodies of BCRs, the CDR3 regions on heavy chain are shorter than the CDR3 in heavy chains and also the same in ÃŽÂ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ´ TCRs is seen where the ÃŽÂ ³ are shorter than the ÃŽÂ ´ CD3. COSTIMULATIONS Both lymphocytes do not get activated (but undergo anergy) once they recognise and bind to an antigen. They require costimulatory signals that will eventually lead to the activation of the lymphocytes. The B cells have BCR co receptor complex consisting of CD19 and CD21 (complement receptor), CD81 and LEU13 (interferon induced transmembrane protein 1). All these molecules are stimulated in presence of interferons and complements that give a costimulatory signal to B cells and activate it when it has recognised an antigen. The precise details of how these costimulatory molecules stimulate B cell signalling are still under investigation. In contrast to the 4 main costimulatory molecules in B cells, the primary costimulatory molecule in T cells is CD28 (figure besides) The binding of peptide-MHC to TCR causes up-regulation of certain molecules (e.g. CD28). T cells, like B cells can be costimulated by either cytokines or costimulatory molecule interactions. APC have surface molecules such as the B7.1 and B7.2 (or the CD80 and CD86) that recognise and bind to a molecule on the surface of the T cells called CD28 found on CD. This interacting provides co stimulation. The CTLA4 molecule is highly expressed after proliferation of the T cells. Once it binds to B7, instead of co stimulating T cells, it turns the T cells off. This is helpful in preventing excessive immune responses. No such regulatory mechanism is seen in B cells. A unique feature of T cells is that they have co receptors (CD4 and CD8) that help recognise the MHC molecules. CD4 molecules act as co receptors for MHC2 and are found on helper T cells and CD8 molecules present on cytotoxic T cells help recognise MHC1 molecules. ACTIVATION OF B AND T CELLS The activation of B and T cells following antigen recognition is somehow similar as it involves the phosphorylation of the ITAMS of accessory proteins. In B cells, antigen binding and co stimulation recruits the BCR+antigen to lipid rafts that brings protein tyrosine kinase Lyn close to the ITAMs of the cytoplasmic tails of the BCR associated proteins. Lyn phosphorylates ITAMs and triggers a signal cascade that results in increase of cytoplasmic calcium levels that activate transcription factors that control the entry of B cells into cell cycle. Eventually activate the B cells which then form plasma cells (that make loads of clones of antibodies to the antigen) and memory cells that will help manage subsequent infections. The initial proliferation of the activated B cell is accompanied by somatic hypermutation of the rearranged antibody variable genes that lead to the production of antibodies that may have poor, moderate or good binding capacity to the antigen. The good binding antib odies will be preferentially selected during clonal selection and they will further undergo proliferation to produce plasma and memory cells. A similar situation also occurs in T cells where there is activation of lipid rafts that bring the zeta chain ITAMS close to Lck (a protein tyrosine kinase) that phosphorylates the ITAMs and therefore create opportunity for other factors to bind to it and eventually cause mobilization of calcium that causes proliferation of T cell into Helper T cells, Regulatory T cells and Cytotoxic T cells.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Immortality Through Verse in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Spenser’s Sonn

Immortality Through Verse in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Spenser’s Sonnet 75  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Desiring fame, celebrity, and importance, people for centuries have yearned for the ultimately unattainable goal of immortality. Poets, too, have expressed desires in verse that their lovers remain as they are for eternity, in efforts of praise. Though Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Spenser’s Sonnet 75 from Amoretti both offer lovers this immortality through verse, only Spenser pairs this immortality with respect and partnership, while Shakespeare promises the subject of the sonnet immortality by unusual compliments and the assurance that she will live on as long as the sonnet continues to be read. Spenser debates with his lover, treating her as his equal, and leaves his opinion open for interpretation as an example of poetic indirection. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 begins with the "whim of an inventive mind," (Vendler, 120) a rhetorical question asking if he should compare the subject of the sonnet to a Summer’s day. After the readers see that Shakespeare does not ask to compare her to anything else, we realize that this one proposed comparison to a Summer’s day is, in his mind, perfection (Vendler, 120). However, in order to truly praise the woman, he must prove that she is "more lovely and more temperate" by deprecating the metaphor (Vendler, 121). Though the metaphor seems sweet at first, the implied answer is "no," and Shakespeare continues as to why she is not even worthy of the best possible metaphor (Colie, 36). His imagery of "rough winds" and the "too hot" sun together with the personification of Summer ("Summer’s lease hath all too short a date") support Shakespeare’s belief that Summer is too short and unpredictable to be compa... ...87. 36-37. Felperin, Howard. "Toward a Poststructuralist Practice: The Sonnets." Modern C Critical Interpretations: Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Ed. Harold Bloom. 1st ed. N New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 103-131. Oram, William Allan. Edmund Spenser. Ed. Arthur Kinney. New York: Twayne, 1 1997. Ray, Robert H. "Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18." The Explicator. Fall 1994: 10-11. Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 18." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. E Ed. M. H. Abrams. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 1996. 471. "Sonnet 75: Criticism." EXPLORING Poetry. CD-ROM. Gale, 1997. "Sonnet 75: Overview." EXPLORING Poetry. CD-ROM. Gale, 1997. Spenser, Edmund. "Sonnet 75." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M M. H. Abrams. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 1996. 415. Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Cambridge: Harvard UP: 1998.      

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Piagets Cognitive Theory Essay -- piaget piagets psychology developme

Psychology Piaget's Cognitive Theory Cognitive development is the development of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving, and decision-making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Historically, the cognitive development of children has been studied in a variety of ways. The oldest is through intelligence tests. An example of this is the Stanford Binet Intelligence Quotient test. IQ scoring is based on the concept of mental age, according to which the scores of a child of average intelligence match his or her age. IQ tests are widely used in the United States, but they have been criticized for defining intelligence too narrowly. In contrast to the emphasis placed on a child ¡Ã‚ ¦s natural abilities by intelligence testing, learning theory grew out of work by behaviorist researchers such as John Broadus Watson and B.F. Skinner, who argued that children are completely malleable. Learning theory focuses on the role of environmental factors in shaping the intelligence of children, especially o n a child ¡Ã‚ ¦s ability to learn by having certain behaviors rewarded and others discouraged. During the 1920s, a biologist named Jean Piaget proposed a theory of cognitive development of children. He caused a new revolution in thinking about how thinking develops. In 1984, Piaget observed that children understand concepts and reason differently at different stages. Piaget stated children's cognitive strategies, which are used to solve problems, reflect an interaction between the child ¡Ã‚ ¦s current developmental stage and experience in the world. Piaget was originally trained in areas of biology and philosophy and considered himself a kinetic epistemologist. He was mainly interested in the biological influences on how we come to know. He believed that what distinguishes human beings from other animals is our ability to do abstract symbolic reasoning. Piaget ¡Ã‚ ¦s theory, first published in 1952, grew out of decades of extensive observation of children, including his own, in their natural environments as opposed to the laboratory experiments of the behaviorists. Although Piaget was interested in how children reacted to their environment, he proposed knowledge as composed of schemas, basic units of knowledge used to organize past experiences and serve as a basis for understanding new ones. Schemas are continually being modified by two complementar... ...ings different from theirs. Furthermore, they can understand situations from the viewpoints of others. Intelligence is characterized by number, length, liquid, mass, weight, area, and volume. They can perform logical operations in relation to concrete external objects. They can now decipher their thinking, or focus on more than one dimension of a stimulus at a single time. They cannot solve abstract or hypothetical problems, however. Piaget ¡Ã‚ ¦s fourth and final stage, the formal operations stage, takes place from 11 or 12 to 18 and beyond. In early adolescent years, the development of the ability to reversibility and conservation to abstract, verbal, and hypothetical situations takes place. They also begin to make speculations about what might happen in the future. Adolescents are also capable of formulating and testing hypotheses, and dealing with abstract concepts like probability, ratio, and proportion. In this stage start the perception of analogies and the use of complex language forms such as metaphors and sarcasm. Teenagers can comprehend philosophy and politics and formulate theories of their own. Abstract concepts and moral values become as important as concrete objects.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Platos Dialectical Cut in Socrates Soul in The Being of the Beautiful

Plato's Dialectical Cut in Socrates' Soul in The Being of the Beautiful Within the spectrum of the political realm, one of the most important philosophical questions arises, "What is the best regime?" It is obvious that the best regime is one of complied consent. There still seems to be difficulty in deciding the best means to the desired end. Politics, the ruling force, operates in the realm of opinions. Its counterpart, philosophy, is an attempt to replace opinions about political things. This "political science" is the process of acquiring political knowledge for the guiding of political life. The transformation from opinions to knowledge is through the dialectic method. This "political science" is not without its problems. It is plagued by relativism and nihilism. These problems tend to make politics unreceptive to philosophy. What philosophy is is best seen in a confrontation between the philosopher and the city. It is by no small coincidence that these two conflicting views are seen in different characters in The Being of the Beautiful. The obvious question now becomes "Why does Plato make a dialectical cut in Socrates' soul between Theaetetus and Young Socrates?" In answering this question it becomes central to assume that the being of the beautiful is not contained in one character, and for that matter, may not be a character at all. It is crucial then to take up the characteristics of both Theaetetus and Young Socrates in relation to what the beautiful is. In so doing, it will provide the basis for political knowledge. To begin, Theaetetus is a youth just returned from battle. War, being the harshest of all teachers places one under the duress of necessity. This is a fo... ...nd this. He says that "all has been said in a measured way... but this is hard to take in" (Statesman, 293e). The Stranger explains that the rule of law is for one class and is corrupt, imperfect and seditionary. Through the questioning of the laws, the foundations of the one are seen. Politics and philosophy are not natural enemies. Both Theaetetus and Young Socrates understand the ideas to some extent. The goal now is to make each receptive to the other. Both make distinctions between men and gods. They can each understand the concept that something merely "is". Within each character separately a vice is seen but when combined dialectically, the possibility of a true political philosophy is possible. Perhaps Socrates sees in both of them the idea of the philosopher and he wants to see it generated as proof of a permanent condition of human nature.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Informal situational analysis †kia motors corporation Essay

An informal situational analysis is being conducted on KIA Motors Corporation to analyse critically the internal and external environment as it concerns KIA so as to determine its capabilities, customers, positioning and competitors within its business environment. It would also involve the marketing and business strategy of the organization, how they align to achieve profitability and/or market orientation, we would be able to discover after this analysis if KIA’s focus is on profitability or market orientation. Are they a market-oriented organisation? This exercise can be achieved by exploiting the SWOT analysis, PESTEL or the 3Cs analysis and this analysis would concurrently use 2 of them. KIA Motors Corporation was founded in 1944 to engage in the manufacturing and sales of automobiles starting from bicycles to passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, military vehicles and recreational vehicles while also investing in new technologies in the development and manufacture of eco-friendly cars. Kia Motors remains a driving force in Korea’s automotive industry with an expanding product line sold through a network of 4000 dealers, 20 sales subsidiaries, 141 distributors scattered across about 170 countries around the world. Its major brands are the Cerato, Soul, Rio, Picanto, Sorento etc. Kia’s management vision coined as – Innovation for Humanity tells a lot about its commitment to market orientation. 1. To grow the Kia brand to a world class level and become a leader in the global automobile industry. 2. To pursue â€Å"Customer Happiness† by providing the best technology and the highest levels of quality and service. 3. To work hard at growing out of conventional modes of thinking by being creative and spontaneous innovating 4. To achieve its long term vision by striving to satisfy the customer through technological innovation that respects people and nature. KIA Motors’ goal and mission statement is â€Å"to become a tier-one automotive brand by 2016 with a mission to become one of the most desirable brands in the automotive industry by providing a different type of driving experience that will enhance people’s lives and enrich them every day.† According to several researchers of marketing strategy, an organization that is highly market oriented and aiming at achieving above normal market performance and providing superior value to customers to achieve a competitive advantage is bound to make profit, however, profit ought not be the major focus above market orientation. Kia is able to inculcate the culture of market orientation which according to Kohli and Jarwoski (1990) â€Å"is the organization wide generation of market intelligence pertaining to current and future customer needs, dissemination of the intelligence across departments and organisationwide responsiveness to it† into the organization. Kia gathers intelligence on its present and future customers through using data as regards their family life, work, holidays, interests etc from reputable marketing surveys, it also gathers information on current and future weaknesses and strengths of its competitors and ensure all these information are properly disseminated to all departments of the organization inorder to each to position itself appropriately to achieve customer satisfaction and maintain competitive edge. There is a strong coordination between key departments ranging from marketing, branding& communications, finance to design departments. Therefore, there is a positive relationship between market orientation and profitability. The organization also as a matter of policy allocates up to 5% of its profits to Research & Development so as to continue to deliver sustainable superior value to its present and future customers even in the long run. SWOT Analysiss STREGHTS 1. Its marketing strategy that is focused on customer needs and desires. 2. Pricing 3. Style and Vibrant designs that provide appeal to the younger generation. 4. Increasing network of distributors and dealers worldwide. 5. Lower cost of production 6. Manufacture of hybrid electric vehicles (eco-friendly) and highly fuel efficient products that can match other international brands. WEAKNESSES 1. They need to improve on operational efficiency to meet both quantitative and qualitative standards 2. Inability to appeal to a broader audience 3. Quality 4. Low global awareness level OPPORTUNITIES 1. A shift in consumer preference for eco-friendly vehicles due to skyrocketing oil prices and increased pollution resulting in the depletion of the ozone layer. 2. Partnership with Hyundai in a single production line and plant will result in economies of scale for the KIA brand and allow it to continually focus on designs and marketing for new products. THREATS 1. Competition is becoming stiffer 2. Direct exposure to sharp changes in the price of raw materials or OEMs not manufactured by KIA could have a positive or negative impact on bottom lines and prices that hitherto used to be a selling point. 3. Vulnerability to natural disasters similar to that which affected Toyota in Japan. 3 Cs Analysis Company The marketing strategy of KIA as already mentioned above is directed towards meeting the needs and desires of its target customers. Marketing mix Product – Kia introduces a new model after about 18months of the last model launch which usually comes with an improvement with respect to interior and exterior specification which is meant to compete with other brands entering the market. The stages of the product life cycle being introduction stage, growth stage, maturity stage and decline stage. Therefore at introduction stage, sales are just beginning to gain momentum, awareness and education of customers on the product is just being done and the customer is beginning to take purchasing decisions. At this stage, Kia engages in aggressive and catchy adverts and mono fairs across countries to persuade potential customers to buy. And it can be said that Kia brand has an average life cycle of 3 years after which the customer is ready for a change of car. At the growth stage when Kia car owners have clocked 3 years on their former purchase, a lot of them are willing to buy the new model that has newer options and sales continue to climb at this stage, but at maturity, sales peak, and begin to decline which is when sales and profits are likely to decrease. Therefore, the organization upon studying the pattern of sales on the large variety of brands they have, adopt a production mix that emphasizes manufacture of higher selling products than products that have lower sales. Pricing – The company adopts different pricing for their products at different stages of their product life cycle by placing higher value on vehicles at introduction stage and depending on market response adjust the prices accordingly, however in order to penetrate the market as quickly as possible and deeply before competitors, it adopts the penetration pricing strategy. Also for each brand of car model, prices differ to allow consumers to decide at best suits their lifestyle and needs, for example, the Rio has 3 variants and with different prices from which a customer can choose from. However, the price of Kia vehicles ranges from $8,000 to $36,800 with the Picanto being the lowest of the range and the Sorento tops the range of products. Place – Kia is headquartered in Korea but has networks and is well represented across the world through 4000 dealers, 20 subsidiaries and 141 distributors with further expansion still ongoing. Dealers could make or mar the brand, and therefore, Kia ensures there is uniformity in the outlook of dealerships across the world, while ensuring standards are strictly adhered to. In trying to ensure customer service are not compromised, it is necessary for them to generate feedback from customers across the world concerning their Kia experience at all dealerships and also recognize those known to uphold the Kia standards. Promotion and Branding – Kia, in the last 10 years has spared no costs creating awareness of their products to the consuming public. Using not only the traditional approach of promotion and advertisement but also the use of social media and electronic digital marketing. The use of social media allows it to constantly connect with younger generations and enable it to receive and give feedback as efficiently as possible. At the introduction stage of a product is when large amounts of funds are invested in promoting to make consumers aware of the new product and its benefits. The company’s websites are also well developed to promote and advertise their products. They also get involved in endorsements and sponsorships of major events, sport teams, athletes, charity events etc. that they believe would sell the KIA brand. Kia has introduced a number of novel ideas into the automotive world market and have allowed the brand to be built since it was launched to the United States market in 1992 and to the rest of the world riding on the slogan â€Å"Power to surprise†. Its major emphasis on Design has also allowed it to carve a niche for itself in the market and the evolution of the brand. Therefore, they safely assume brand recognition has been achieved while not resting on its oars to gain market share by continuing to establish the best customer relationships. The branding strategy being deployed by Kia so far can be termed to be successful allowing it notch the 87th position on the 2012 Interbrand’s Best Global Brands survey far behind its benchmark competitors, Toyota at No 10 and Honda at No 21. Customer KIA’s marketing strategy is formulated in such a way as to address to 2 significant issues which the organization revolves round. Which customers do we want to serve? How do we intend to create value for the customers we want to serve? To answer the 1st question, KIA embarked on a process of market segmentation through market intelligence across 4 variables namely – geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioural. Diagram 1 – Market Segmentation The 2nd question in formulating its marketing strategy is market differentiation and positioning which is being done through its major focus on its core strength which is cutting edge design and style. In 2006, Peter Schreyer, an award winning designer came on-board as Kia’s Chief Design Officer thereby completely turning around the entire product design line since 2009 to date and making KIA a world renowned automotive brand. Kia Motors UK is differentiating the product within the market by selling with a 7 year warranty that can be passed on to whoever the vehicle is transferred to, this is a novel and one of its kind in Europe. In Nigeria, Kia workshop is open Mondays through Sunday to cater to working class people that are unable to bring in their cars for service during workdays. Therefore, the KIA’s customer is the average middle and upper middle class with an average age of 40, upwardly mobile, male and female looking for the best value for money and located in all parts of the world. Competitors Kia’s major competitors are Hyundai, Toyota, Ford, Chevrolet, Vauxhall. Toyota continues to lead the pack due to its high resale value that cannot yet be matched by Kia and also its reputation for safety. The selling point being adopted by this company to achieve competitive advantage is a better price offering, i.e better price for better styled product. However, the Kia brand is not yet known in major global cities and it is a known fact that they are lacking in global awareness for which the organization is already positioning itself to address. Inspite of being presently owned by Hyundai, Kia is still being seen as competition. Since the recession, Kia has stealthily grown its market share coupled with the Tokyo disaster which stalled Toyota production for a period, this allowed for a high growth rate for the brand in the last 5 years, but with the recent pick up of Toyota, Kia is likely to have a tough time in maintaining this growth rate which stood at 27% in 2010 against industry averages of 12%. Therefore, they continue to invest in capital expenditure, building of new plants, re-inforcement of the design centers to be able to churn out designs that would continue to project a dynamic and youthful brand, aggressively market and expand its presence across the world. CONCLUSION The business and marketing strategies of Kia are well aligned as analyzed above which is responsible for the success they have continued to achieve over the years as reflected in the gradual brand acceptance globally. Kia is customer and market oriented, it does not pay lip service to its goals and mission of ensuring it delivers excellent customer service and also getting to the top 3 automotive organization even though it may seem as an unachievable task, it still continues to position itself to bridge the gap. It is recommended amongst others that Kia improves on quality of its products, availability of OEM parts and spare parts, access to after sales service and all other factors that make the brand more attractive and also increase on its resale value which is presently nothing to write home about presently. It should also from time to time gather information on which cars are receiving more acceptance and ensure they are produced in quantities that would meet customer needs. As we speak, the Sportage is doing very well but supply remains low to meet up with demand. Kia also adopts the use of market share as a measure of brand equity measure which according to Aaker(1996) to be deceptive especially since Kia prices are lower relative to market prices, therefore it is also advisable to measure the relative market price at which the brand is being sold compared to industry market price. REFERENCES 1. Aaker, D. A., (1996) ‘Measuring Brand Equity Across Products and Markets’, California Management Review, 38 (3) pp.102-120 2. Interbrand, (2013) Best Global Brands 2012: The Top 100 Brands, Available at: http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/2012/Best-Global-Brands-2012-Brand- View.aspx, (accessed: 14/10/13) 3. Kia Motors Corporation- Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Kia Motors Corporation [online] Available at: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/74/Kia-Motors-Corporation.html [Accessed 14 October 2013] 4. Kohli, A. J. & B. J. Jaworski, (1990) ‘Market Orientation: The Construct, Research Propositions, and Managerial Implications’, Journal of Marketing, 54 (2) pp.1-18 5. Yu R.(2011), â€Å"Focused, feisty Kia bears down on its competitors† (online) Available at http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/MONEY/usaedition/2011-06-28-Kia_CV_U.html, (accessed 16 October 2013) View as multi-pages

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Ehe situation at the airport Essay

The heart rate increases the second you entry the terminal. There is a continuous sound of cheerful chatter, luggage wheels gently rolling across the cobalt blue floor, and mobile phones ringing. There are different emotions on everyone as you walk past, some people are depressed, excited or stressed out. The cue is long because it’s the early hours in the afternoon; the security grads are comfortably waiting for the passengers to place their properties in the security check tray. Each security uniforms display a shining gold badge that catches the eye; it’s so bright you have to wear sun glasses to look at the badge. The security grads are standing straight and are eager and delighted to help the next traveller. A mother and her child are joyfully placing their properties in the security check tray. The little boy was obviously dressed to see someone special; wearing a dark blue jacket, a green and grey striped shirt underneath, his trousers are clean but you can recognize they have been worn a couple of times and he has spent much time on his knees probably playing with his bright yellow racing car he is now happily placing in the tray which is now passing through the security check. He jumps eagerly as the scanner beeps, a sigh of relief as the boy got his yellow car back. As the time gets closer for takeoff, the more pressure; you just can wait to get on the plane but the time is dragging is like watching a snail run a marathon. I hear two business men behind me chatting about the weather in New York and the possibility of a snow. The disturbance of an airplane at a takeoff and the smell of an aircraft fuel. Young children listening to music on their mp3 player some even singing it out loud and playing video games as they wait for their gate to open. Voice on the public address announcing that flight 1907 is now boarding at gate A28. A Multiple of Billboards adverting different type of things the most eye catching one is the toothpaste billboard, because the man is beating of the billboard and the billboard is half done. It makes it clear that Formula tooth care gives you really strong teeth. Several people where admiring the art work as they took pictures of the billboard.

The Assualt – Views About Past and Present

In his novel The Assault, Harry Mulisch illustrates a clear example at how human memory can aid us in pursuing a better future ahead of us. As Anton watched the motor boats on the first page of the novel he was amazed at how fast the motor boats moved and the wake they left behind. Each time he saw them zoom by he would try to follow their wake however its pattern became so distorted he could not follow it. Along side the motor boats were the gondolas where they were propelled by the captain pushing a stick back thus moving his boat forward. He then takes this approach on life and lives while constantly bringing up his past. Every time he attempted to look at what the future held in store for him he was sent back towards looking at the past. By looking back and searching for his past he was able to progress into the future without feeling the unbearable light of the future. Mulisch uses an extensive amount of light and dark metaphors, and structure in order to show us that if we desire to progress through a less painful life we should reflect upon our past before we look too far ahead into the future. Mulisch structured his novel in such a way that the reader can unmistakably understand the past form the present. In the very beginning of the book Anton and his family are going about their lives however there is not a single trace of light. Mulisch makes this point very clear for everyone is turning out there lights in case of a bombing run. In addition he writes that all was dark as the murder was committed and peter took the carbon lamp. These had all happened in the past and therefore Mulisch is stating the past is dark. As the reader reaches the end of the book and the final scene is of Anton walking away in the middle of the day, when the sun is the highest, we conclude that the present is light. This juxtaposition is further backed by the chapter structure Mulisch chose to use. Although many if not all books, rise in chapter number such as this one, Mulisch chose to use years and dates for chapters to very clearly indicating the movement from past to present. This structure and juxtaposition as well as the metaphor of light and dark as representing future and past allows the reader to follow Anton’s progression through out. As one scans the novel a noticeable pattern forms in that as the episodes (chapters) progress, so does Anton’s knowledge of his past. This is done through Mulisch structuring the novel so that Anton meets a new person and gains a new piece of his past as time goes on. His past first comes back to him when he travels back to Haarlem after living with his Aunt and Uncle in Amsterdam since the murder of Fake Ploeg was committed. Here he is greeted with multiple objects that remind him of his past and one of which is the herring bone pattern on the quay. Mulisch writes, â€Å"With sudden excitement he recognized the herringbone pattern of the brick pavement. He had never noticed it in the old days, but now he saw it realized it had always been there. (Mulisch page 62) The herringbone patter represents how much distortion Anton’s memory has about the night the murder was committed. It is this confusion that Anton is excited by and he then strives to find answers through out his life both consciously and unconsciously. In addition to the herringbone pattern on page 62 he also meets Mrs. Beumer and Mr. Beumer. Ant on does not like the presence of them when he first meets them but it is because of their connection to his past that leads him to another connection; The monument on the quay. From hear Anton feels like he has an unbearably empty hole inside of him. When something is empty, in an existentialistic view such as Mulisch, it must be filled and for Anton that something is knowledge of his past. The Episode concludes with Anton thinking of himself floating at the center of the earth. There he would â€Å"be able to reflect upon the state of things in eternity. † (Mulisch page 76) Mulisch Has Anton percolating this idea in order to show the reader that Anton is clearly going to reflect upon his past. Shortly after Anton’s acquaintance with Haarlem and the Beumers he walks into Fake Ploeg Jr. n Anton’s flat. Here they are both greeted with past and they have quite the talk about it. While this is going on Anton is attempting to light a stove filled with dark oil. As the conversation between Anton and Ploeg Jr. escalates the dark oil has yet to light up. At the most enraged part of the conversation Fake decided to throw a stone and after this, a cloud of dark soot from the stove and covered Anton’s flat. Ploeg Jr. was a connection to Anton’s past and the dark soot covering Anton’s flat is representative of a piece of his past he just acquired through Ploeg Jr. This was not an easy feat for Anton was trying to speed up the process while talking to Ploeg Jr. as represented by having to much oil on the stove and trying to light it. This is all occurring while Anton has a headache which plunge him into darkness because of the pain. This then indicates that the past does in fact aid Anton in the way that he lives less painfully. This motif of dimming light (future and pain) with darkness (past and relief) comes up another time while lying on the beach on page 126. Mulisch uses the metaphor of a book for the intended purpose of illustrating the light and dark motifs as Anton was blinded by the whiteness of the pages reflecting the sun onto him. Later in the same scene Anton falls asleep in the light of the beach and awakens to another of his splitting migraines. A few lines down however Mulisch writes that â€Å"in the soothing shade, it had almost disappeared. † Giving way to the motif mentioned earlier. Among the actions that take place in the beginning of the novel, Anton meets a woman whom he meets in a jail cell. It is only when Anton is taken out of the cell and sees blood that his curiosity raises even more. This along with the assault itself fades away into Anton’s memory like the wake of the motor boats. As he grows older he begins to think about this woman even more. This is particularly set on by a man named Cor Takes who talks to him about his girlfriend. With this new found information Anton keeps attempting to put a face on the woman in the cell for he thinks it is the woman Takes was talking about (Truus Coster). Anton keeps looking forward to who the woman in the cell was and during this time period, episode three to the final episode, he has constant migraines which plunge him into darkness in order to stop the pain. Mulisch structured this episode as this to show the reader that looking towards the future is dangerous and we should rely on our past before we make assumptions. Mulisch then has Anton stop thinking about Truus for he concurs that she must look like Saskia. Anton accepts this conclusion and his migraines start diminishing. This further extends the conceit of dark and light as ways of representing past and future, good nd bad. At the end of the final episode Anton has now spent 36 years searching for his past and finally he comes to a conclusion when he meets his old neighbor Karin Korteweg. Anton finally hears the whole story about his past and he is unusually at ease with this information. Mulisch used this to state that Anton had finally been vindicated of his past. The book ends in mid day, commonly known as when the sun is at its brightest point. Mulisch uses this structure and juxtaposition of the begging of the book to extend the light and darkness motifs in the novel. Although we can walk through our lives looking towards the future it is much harder than if we walk facing the past. When we look to the future we feel as if our past is always weighing us down such as the panoptic-con of the Nazis during WWII. When we do feel its weight we tend to have a harder time progressing through what each one of us consider our meaningful life. We should always reflect upon our past no matter how much we want to ignore it because by doing so we make better sense of our future and are ultimately brought into the light with no pain. After all â€Å"Everything comes to light. † (Mulisch page 128)

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Public Myth vs Social Reality Essay

Pierre Bourdieu asserts that public opinion does not exist. This poses the question, how should we conceive public opinion? If it is true that the public does not exist, than the real question is, whose opinion is public opinion? Rational Choice Theory poses that idea that human beings form their opinions and decisions based on collective observations and calculations. It also assumes all individuals are well informed of all of their options and that it is an inherent human tendency to think everyone makes decisions this way. If this is true, it would explain the blind faith people have in public opinion. It is a faith so devout, it often sways and molds popular culture ideals. Pierre Bourdieu strongly negates this view. Pierre Bourdieu is a highly acclaimed French sociologist. Born on August 1, of 1930, he recently passed away on January 23, 2002. His views embody the disciplines of many tenets including: philosophy, literary theory, sociology, and anthropology. He is the protagonist of the world of sociological studies, and he opposed and debunked some of the most prevalent antagonisms in the genre. His most popular work is Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. In the 1967 study, he interprets how members of the upper class define taste as an aesthetic. He finds that the public has no genuine representation in democratic societies. Rational Choice Theory is the theory that assume human beings naturally choose a given path dependant on whether it is the best means to achieve their goals. It is a belief in methodological individualism; this meaning it adopts the belief that social situations, and group behavior is solely the result of individual action. Within this theory, corporations and national governments are viewed as individual operators as well. The problem that arises with this theory are the certain assumptions. This theory assumes human beings are aware of certain information, of which they aren’t always aware, and it assumes that individuals consistently make mental calculations to determine their next decision. Bourdieu is historically known for his opposition to this theory, based on the fact that he feels human beings operate more based on how they feel toward a given situation or at a given time. In his book, Outline Theory of Practice, Bourdieu analyzes human nature. He points out the human tendency to conform. Doing one’s duty as a man means conforming to the social order, and this is a fundamentally a question of respecting rhythms, keeping pace, not falling out of line. ‘Don’t we all eat the same wheat cake? Don’t we all get up at the same time? These various ways of reasserting solidarity contain an implicit definition of the fundamental virtue of conformity. (Bourdieu, 1977) He later goes on to show that conformities only other opposition is eccentricity, which becomes natural for those intrigued by it irregularity. The opposite of which is the desire to stand apart from others. Working while the others are resting, staying in the house while the others are working in the fields, traveling on deserted roads, wandering round the streets of the village while the others are asleep or at the market – these are all suspicious forms of behavior. The eccentric who does everything differently†¦ (Bourdieu, 1977) Bourdieu believes that society cannot just be analyzed in terms of economic classes and ideologies, but that individual education and culture must be applied as well. Bourdieu does not separate people based on class and then analyze them, but groups everyone into what he calls a field/ social arena. This contradicts classic Marxism. In this field people compete and struggle to attain their desires. It is a system of social positions organized by terms of power relationships. This idea of terms of power is most easily defined as the differential between a judge and a lawyer. Within this field the social agents fight over monetary gain, or whatever holds symbolic significance. In all of Bourdieu’s beliefs, his most popular is his assertion that the public does not exist (1984). This concept is addressed in his book, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, in that he feels there is a different of class taste between the ruling class and popular culture. But, within this conflict, there is no public, only a media mediating between the two and a culture to which they often cater to do so. Jon Simons addresses this concept in his essay, Governing the Public: Technologies of Mediation and Popular Culture, when he says, technologies constitute the people as a mediated public. The public is only amenable to representation in the form of an electorate which is an effect of technical organization that can mediate between people at a distance from each other. The key point of this analysis is that the public does not exist prior to or outside of its constitution. (Simons, 2002) His essay evaluates the importance of media technologies within a democracy. Bourdieu feels that in this field of power struggle, the ruling class uses their cultural capital to assert their distinction (1984). This is seen in the way politicians might only use terms or syntax understandable to the elite of society. This separation between popular culture and the elite culture of a society makes it virtually impossible for government officials to ever get the unanimous appeal for which they often aspire. Most political elites view popular cultures’ apathy towards politics with great disdain. Even still, they relentlessly attempt to relate to popular culture voters, whom they know will support them. In John Fiske’s critique on television, Television Culture he analyzes the nature of what makes popular television. He concludes that the shows that succeed in gaining popularity tend to have many symbols and plot lines containing multiple meanings. He also states that remain within a duality of containment and resistance (1987). This idea basically revolves around the fact that television producers, who are viewed as the upper class and political elite, are expected to produce material that correspond with popular culture. This material that the elite minority culture produces for the popular culture contradicts elitist ideals but allows the status quo to remain intact. This means the political elite can only remain the elite so long as they humor the beliefs and ideals of their less powerful but more dominant counterparts. The rules Fiske establishes for television shows can very easily be applied to the media. They present the media as a tool being used to prey on the wants and needs of different cultures. Another media technology that isn’t always addressed is the literary outlets in societies. This is undoubtedly the reason that Pierre Bourdieu is an acclaimed literary theorist as well, addressing such theorist as reader response theory. Reader response theory augments the importance of the role of the reader in interpreting texts. It disagrees that there is a solitary, fixed meaning integral to every literary work. This theory embraces that an individual creates his or her own meaning through a â€Å"transaction† with the text based on personal associations. Because all readers bring their own emotions, concerns, life experiences, and knowledge to their reading, each interpretation is subjective and unique. It is common that many people trace the foundation of reader-response theory to scholar Louise Rosenblatt’s influential 1938 work Literature as Exploration. She believed, close readings of literature should practice impassiveness in the study of texts and should reject all forms of personal interpretation by the reader. The text is an independent entity that could be objectively analyzed using unambiguous methodological criteria (Rosenblatt’s, 1938). Her work has been the topic of study for many professors and theorists who specialize in this form of analysis. In Fish’s piece, Is there a text in this class? The authority of interpretive communities, he argues that the readings of a text are culturally constructed. He feels that reader-response theory recognizes the reader as an active agent who imparts real existence to the work and completes its meaning through interpretation. Reader-response is an experience that every user goes through during the act of reading, it transpires and it affects reader and sometimes this counteracts to force user to do some practical reaction (Fish, 1986). This aspect of Stanley Fish’s theory is one of the most radical and controversial and is part of the reason why many people object to the views backing this movement. He adds further rational to his stance with his view that most of the theories that are formulated on the grounds of practical experiences are likely to be accurate and are easily acceptable. The reader of reader-response theory is not just a hypothetical or theoretical reader, he is a practical reality (Fish, 1986). Since this theory has exact results it effects lives, personalities, cultures and societies. There are also some theories that fail but the reason of their failure is not the notion of being a textual work, it is their impractical approach that disappoints them (Fish, 1986). Fish’s attempt to place reader-response theory in a position of practical perspective more certifies its methodology. His political stance frees other theorists to do more in-depth analysis. Applied to the idea of public interpretation, we see that there is again another outlet for public opinion to be controlled through the targeting of specific popular culture emotions or ideals, and triggering whatever reader response might favor certain positions, or corporations. I’m sure news paper, and magazine advertisers are well studied in reader response-theory. Despite the insurmountable methods of control instilled on individuals, through popular culture, by the media, Simons argues that there are certain times when citizens group together in masses and act on their own apart from the propaganda projected by the media. A prime example of liberal citizens standing up and countering Bourdieu’s perception of public opinion is the Civil Rights movement in America. It was a much needed, and detrimental, shift in popular culture and eventually governmental law. A more contemporary version of this would be Hurricane Katrina, or 9/11. In her article Al Qaeda, Terrorism, and Military Commissions’, Ruth Wedgwood proves that though most American citizens consider terrorism to be a federal and national problem, it is very much a local one. Al Qaeda’s published doctrine maintains that there are no innocent civilians in Western society (Wedgwood, pg2)†¦ She later goes on to analyze the psychological foundation they use to form their tenet. She says,†¦this tenet leads it to [committing] the gravest of international crime[s] (Wedgwood, pg2). All of these qualities impose a large enough threat to individual human ideals and popular culture that a public arises from a nonentity. We also see this with protests. Here is where the weakness lies in Bourdieu’s theory. Despite this, we still see the prevention of certain liberal up risings maintained by systems of control, like racial, sexual and religious prejudice, or even class prejudice through the myth of the American Dream. The American dream that one can become something from nothing is the main reason why America is the fastest growing country. It is often seen as a melting pot encompassing many different religions and nationalities. People move to America with dreams of becoming wealthy, but many of the ideologies that have existed within the country for years inhibit these dreams from coming true. It is Harlon L. Dalton’s belief that Horatio Alger’s writings, during the mid to late 1800’s, promoted a destructive myth that overlooked the realities of society. Dalton specifically targets Alger’s story Ragged Dick, about a young man who devoutly works his way up the American corporate ladder slowly succeeding based on his merit. Dalton feels the myth implied by this is that the American dream is accessible to all those who are willing to work for it. Alger has been a highly acclaimed writer in American culture, and the popularity of his work partly suggests that most Americans have and inherent belief in this myth. If this mindset is a part of the mental tapestry of America, and it is as destructive as Dalton claims it to be, it would mean that American’s are inherently delusional. One might argue that this is only the problem of the minorities in this country, but Dalton protests that part of the want for most Americans to believe in this myth is fueled by a white discomfort with addressing the reality of a racial problem in America. He identifies this when he says, By interring the myth of Horatio Alger, or at least forcing it to coexist with social reality, we can accomplish two important goals. First, we can give the lie to the idea that Black people can simply lift themselves up by their own bootstraps. With that pesky idea out of the way it is easier to see why White folk need to take joint ownership of the nation’s race problem†¦ (Dalton) This idea of dual ownership for racial injustice is a concept Dalton feels most whites avoid and is a concept we see on many occasions being played out by the media in daily society. This is just a perfect example of the power of popular culture to create a sense of public opinion. In Horatio Alger’s day, the sociological circumstance of America was perfectly visible to every individual, but people chose to adopt the popular false reality projected from Alger’s novels. Alger was noted for not being a very skilled writer, and the majority of his novels were written solely for the purpose of maintaining his extremely large fan base, so he made sure his books adhered to certain ideals. Most of these ideals involved the overlooking of racial stratification. Racial stratification that existed in the U. K. at the beginning of the last century also deprived its colored citizens from the access to the most valuable resources the American society had, from the education, proper medical treatment etc. To make the Afro-Americans believe in the uniqueness of the whites they developed ridiculous theories of the mental or physical prevalence of their race. (Banton, 1998) Despite this, America wins the title for being the most racially conflicted, and thus corrupted. This corresponds with Bourdieu’s view that ethnicity and education will be one’s core sources of decision making, as apposed to ideology (1984). The first persuasion, which is that everyone can participate equally and can always start over, is troubling, as throughout most part of the American history, women of any race and men who were Native American, Asian, black, or just poor, were barred from all but a narrow range of elective positions. White men, especially European immigrants, able to ride the wave of the Industrial Revolution to comfort or prosperity, have always been the most valued members of the American society. Those who do not fit to that description, disappear from the collective self-portrait. The situation is that not only has the ideal of universal participation been denied to most Americans, but also the very fact of its denial is been denied in our national self-image. This state of things determines deep misunderstandings and correspondingly deep political tensions. This is especially true for the victims of racial attacks. Social stratification, according to some scientists has always accompanied the life of the human beings, after appearing on the down of the humankind history. The reason for its existence is a very simple one and it’s that the amount of resources this planet can provide is limited, thus it’s impossible to give everything needed or desired to everyone. As we all know people have always been unequal. It was determined by numerous factors even many centuries ago, and nowadays the amount of those factors has increased greatly. Despite of the principles about the equality of all of the society’s members that are declared in the contemporary society nowadays, the phenomenon of discrimination still exists in our country. This problem is enforced by Bourdieu’s public opinion created by the media, and heartfelt by many individuals. From one viewpoint it is only natural for people to treat those a certain way in accordance with their age, gender, religious beliefs, physical condition, but when these peculiarities are used for to determine the person’s rights or regulate his or her freedom of action and choice, it created huge problems in interpersonal and social communication, and other processes. One is only left to wonder what the state of racism would be in this country if it wasn’t constantly displayed as the symbol of western society. One might argue, like in the case with Horatio Alger, the disregard of racism only resulted in its unacknowledged enhancement. The very purpose of the Civil Rights movement in the states was to allow whites the opportunity to see how black were being treated by the police Lots of books and articles written recently, state that the degree of negative discrimination is still very high in the U. K. , which strings the social relations up, and leads to numerous conflicts within various racial groups. Martha Minow addresses this in many of her writings. In her essay on identity, titled Not Only for Myself Identity, Politics, and the Law, she says, There are two kinds of people in the world†¦those who think there are two kinds of people, and those who do not (Minow, 1997). Her essay reveals the ever segregating nature of Western Civilization, while she takes a clear stance in favor of the universal individual. Her essay takes an in depth look at the attitude that is truly necessary for one to make a lone effort towards furthering the genuine full racial integration of the United Kingdom. Her essay condemns all those who settle into social tribes of convenient sameness. To encourage those who oppose conforming to the common American culture of segregation, she describes in detail the trials of a young Nathan Marx. The story also suggests how an identity is founded on both the views of others and the individual; Marx is treated as a Jew both by his non-Jewish fellow officers and by the Jewish trainees. Both kinds of treatment influence his sense of himself as a Jew. Although he resists both, he defines himself in the course of that resistance (Minow, 1997). Here Minow points out a key factor of equality in that individuals all find equality in others in the fact that they refuse to be solely identified ethnically. Those who rather remain segregated are incapable of seeing others as equal to them and just harbor hate. This is a complexity that the U. K. often shares with the U. S. The ironic factor in this circumstance is that racial and religious separatism is just as much the result of the media as it is the people at adhering to it. If we look at the statistics found by the 2005 United States Census Bureau, the discrepancies in success among ethnicities is quite revealing.